diff --git a/internal/lsp/cache/check.go b/internal/lsp/cache/check.go
index 87b7ee2102..d5b614390d 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/cache/check.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/cache/check.go
@@ -124,7 +124,6 @@ func (s *snapshot) buildKey(ctx context.Context, id packageID, mode source.Parse
 		compiledGoFiles: compiledGoFiles,
 		mode:            mode,
 	}
-
 	// Make sure all of the depList are sorted.
 	depList := append([]packageID{}, m.deps...)
 	sort.Slice(depList, func(i, j int) bool {
@@ -137,7 +136,7 @@ func (s *snapshot) buildKey(ctx context.Context, id packageID, mode source.Parse
 	var depKeys [][]byte
 	for _, depID := range depList {
 		mode := source.ParseExported
-		if s.workspacePackages[depID] {
+		if s.isWorkspacePackage(depID) {
 			mode = source.ParseFull
 		}
 		depHandle, err := s.buildPackageHandle(ctx, depID, mode)
diff --git a/internal/lsp/cache/load.go b/internal/lsp/cache/load.go
index 2dfce37655..1aa6dfed3a 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/cache/load.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/cache/load.go
@@ -69,8 +69,6 @@ func (s *snapshot) load(ctx context.Context, scope interface{}) ([]*metadata, er
 		if err == nil {
 			err = errors.Errorf("no packages found for query %s", query)
 		}
-	}
-	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	return s.updateMetadata(ctx, scope, pkgs, cfg)
diff --git a/internal/lsp/cache/session.go b/internal/lsp/cache/session.go
index e31669bf86..2c23aa85c0 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/cache/session.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/cache/session.go
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ func (s *session) createView(ctx context.Context, name string, folder span.URI,
 	}
 	v := &view{
 		session:       s,
+		initialized:   make(chan struct{}),
 		id:            strconv.FormatInt(index, 10),
 		options:       options,
 		baseCtx:       baseCtx,
@@ -116,26 +117,6 @@ func (s *session) createView(ctx context.Context, name string, folder span.URI,
 	// so we immediately add builtin.go to the list of ignored files.
 	v.buildBuiltinPackage(ctx)
 
-	// Preemptively load everything in this directory.
-	// TODO(matloob): Determine if this can be done in parallel with something else.
-	// Perhaps different calls to NewView can be run in parallel?
-	v.snapshotMu.Lock()
-	defer v.snapshotMu.Unlock() // The code after the snapshot is used isn't expensive.
-	m, err := v.snapshot.load(ctx, directoryURI(folder))
-	if err != nil {
-		// Suppress all errors.
-		log.Error(ctx, "failed to load snapshot", err, telemetry.Directory.Of(folder))
-		return v, v.snapshot, nil
-	}
-	// Prepare CheckPackageHandles for every package that's been loaded.
-	// (*snapshot).CheckPackageHandle makes the assumption that every package that's
-	// been loaded has an existing checkPackageHandle.
-	if _, err := v.snapshot.checkWorkspacePackages(ctx, m); err != nil {
-		// Suppress all errors.
-		log.Error(ctx, "failed to check snapshot", err, telemetry.Directory.Of(folder))
-		return v, v.snapshot, nil
-	}
-
 	debug.AddView(debugView{v})
 	return v, v.snapshot, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/lsp/cache/snapshot.go b/internal/lsp/cache/snapshot.go
index b2d8e128bc..e2eb5571f3 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/cache/snapshot.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/cache/snapshot.go
@@ -197,7 +197,12 @@ func (s *snapshot) shouldCheck(m []*metadata) (phs []*packageHandle, load, check
 	return phs, false, false
 }
 
-func (s *snapshot) GetReverseDependencies(id string) []string {
+func (s *snapshot) GetReverseDependencies(ctx context.Context, id string) ([]string, error) {
+	// Do not return results until the view has been initialized.
+	if err := s.awaitInitialized(ctx); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	ids := make(map[packageID]struct{})
 	s.transitiveReverseDependencies(packageID(id), ids)
 
@@ -208,7 +213,7 @@ func (s *snapshot) GetReverseDependencies(id string) []string {
 	for id := range ids {
 		results = append(results, string(id))
 	}
-	return results
+	return results, nil
 }
 
 // transitiveReverseDependencies populates the uris map with file URIs
@@ -217,8 +222,7 @@ func (s *snapshot) transitiveReverseDependencies(id packageID, ids map[packageID
 	if _, ok := ids[id]; ok {
 		return
 	}
-	m := s.getMetadata(id)
-	if m == nil {
+	if s.getMetadata(id) == nil {
 		return
 	}
 	ids[id] = struct{}{}
@@ -239,10 +243,26 @@ func (s *snapshot) getImportedByLocked(id packageID) []packageID {
 	if len(s.importedBy) == 0 {
 		s.rebuildImportGraph()
 	}
-
 	return s.importedBy[id]
 }
 
+func (s *snapshot) clearAndRebuildImportGraph() {
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	// Completely invalidate the original map.
+	s.importedBy = make(map[packageID][]packageID)
+	s.rebuildImportGraph()
+}
+
+func (s *snapshot) rebuildImportGraph() {
+	for id, m := range s.metadata {
+		for _, importID := range m.deps {
+			s.importedBy[importID] = append(s.importedBy[importID], id)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (s *snapshot) addPackage(ph *packageHandle) {
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
@@ -256,24 +276,7 @@ func (s *snapshot) addPackage(ph *packageHandle) {
 	s.packages[ph.packageKey()] = ph
 }
 
-// checkWorkspacePackages checks the initial set of packages loaded when
-// the view is created. This is needed because
-// (*snapshot).CheckPackageHandle makes the assumption that every package that's
-// been loaded has an existing checkPackageHandle.
-func (s *snapshot) checkWorkspacePackages(ctx context.Context, m []*metadata) ([]source.PackageHandle, error) {
-	var phs []source.PackageHandle
-	for _, m := range m {
-		ph, err := s.buildPackageHandle(ctx, m.id, source.ParseFull)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		s.workspacePackages[m.id] = true
-		phs = append(phs, ph)
-	}
-	return phs, nil
-}
-
-func (s *snapshot) WorkspacePackageIDs(ctx context.Context) (ids []string) {
+func (s *snapshot) workspacePackageIDs() (ids []string) {
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
 
@@ -283,7 +286,10 @@ func (s *snapshot) WorkspacePackageIDs(ctx context.Context) (ids []string) {
 	return ids
 }
 
-func (s *snapshot) KnownPackages(ctx context.Context) []source.PackageHandle {
+func (s *snapshot) KnownPackages(ctx context.Context) ([]source.PackageHandle, error) {
+	if err := s.awaitInitialized(ctx); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	// Collect PackageHandles for all of the workspace packages first.
 	// They may need to be reloaded if their metadata has been invalidated.
 	wsPackages := make(map[packageID]bool)
@@ -324,8 +330,7 @@ func (s *snapshot) KnownPackages(ctx context.Context) []source.PackageHandle {
 		}
 		results = append(results, ph)
 	}
-
-	return results
+	return results, nil
 }
 
 func (s *snapshot) KnownImportPaths() map[string]source.Package {
@@ -450,6 +455,21 @@ func (s *snapshot) getIDs(uri span.URI) []packageID {
 	return s.ids[uri]
 }
 
+func (s *snapshot) isWorkspacePackage(id packageID) bool {
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	_, ok := s.workspacePackages[id]
+	return ok
+}
+
+func (s *snapshot) setWorkspacePackage(id packageID) {
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	s.workspacePackages[id] = true
+}
+
 func (s *snapshot) getFileURIs() []span.URI {
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
@@ -553,7 +573,6 @@ func (s *snapshot) clone(ctx context.Context, withoutURI span.URI, withoutFileKi
 		if _, seen := transitiveIDs[id]; seen {
 			return
 		}
-
 		transitiveIDs[id] = struct{}{}
 		for _, rid := range s.getImportedByLocked(id) {
 			addRevDeps(rid)
@@ -630,20 +649,3 @@ func (s *snapshot) clone(ctx context.Context, withoutURI span.URI, withoutFileKi
 func (s *snapshot) ID() uint64 {
 	return s.id
 }
-
-func (s *snapshot) clearAndRebuildImportGraph() {
-	s.mu.Lock()
-	defer s.mu.Unlock()
-
-	// Completely invalidate the original map.
-	s.importedBy = make(map[packageID][]packageID)
-	s.rebuildImportGraph()
-}
-
-func (s *snapshot) rebuildImportGraph() {
-	for id, m := range s.metadata {
-		for _, importID := range m.deps {
-			s.importedBy[importID] = append(s.importedBy[importID], id)
-		}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/internal/lsp/cache/view.go b/internal/lsp/cache/view.go
index 8b9e024ff7..c546ff7457 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/cache/view.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/cache/view.go
@@ -88,6 +88,12 @@ type view struct {
 	// ignoredURIs is the set of URIs of files that we ignore.
 	ignoredURIsMu sync.Mutex
 	ignoredURIs   map[span.URI]struct{}
+
+	// initialized is closed when we have attempted to load the view's workspace packages.
+	// If we failed to load initially, we don't re-try to avoid too many go/packages calls.
+	initializeOnce      sync.Once
+	initialized         chan struct{}
+	initializationError error
 }
 
 // modfiles holds the real and temporary go.mod files that are attributed to a view.
@@ -221,7 +227,6 @@ func (v *view) RunProcessEnvFunc(ctx context.Context, fn func(*imports.Options)
 			log.Print(context.Background(), "background refresh finished with err: ", tag.Of("err", nil))
 		}()
 	}
-
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -359,6 +364,36 @@ func (v *view) getSnapshot() *snapshot {
 	return v.snapshot
 }
 
+func (v *view) WorkspacePackageIDs(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error) {
+	s := v.getSnapshot()
+
+	v.initializeOnce.Do(func() {
+		defer close(v.initialized)
+
+		// Do not cancel the call to go/packages.Load for the entire workspace.
+		meta, err := s.load(xcontext.Detach(ctx), directoryURI(v.folder))
+		if err != nil {
+			v.initializationError = err
+		}
+		for _, m := range meta {
+			s.setWorkspacePackage(m.id)
+		}
+	})
+	if v.initializationError != nil {
+		return nil, v.initializationError
+	}
+	return s.workspacePackageIDs(), nil
+}
+
+func (s *snapshot) awaitInitialized(ctx context.Context) error {
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return ctx.Err()
+	case <-s.view.initialized:
+	}
+	return s.view.initializationError
+}
+
 // invalidateContent invalidates the content of a Go file,
 // including any position and type information that depends on it.
 // It returns true if we were already tracking the given file, false otherwise.
@@ -373,6 +408,9 @@ func (v *view) invalidateContent(ctx context.Context, uri span.URI, kind source.
 		v.cancelBackground()
 	}
 
+	// Do not clone a snapshot until the workspace load has been completed.
+	<-v.initialized
+
 	// This should be the only time we hold the view's snapshot lock for any period of time.
 	v.snapshotMu.Lock()
 	defer v.snapshotMu.Unlock()
diff --git a/internal/lsp/diagnostics.go b/internal/lsp/diagnostics.go
index 36d4adbeea..9ab6f0e550 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/diagnostics.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/diagnostics.go
@@ -20,17 +20,22 @@ func (s *Server) diagnose(snapshot source.Snapshot, fh source.FileHandle) error
 	case source.Go:
 		go s.diagnoseFile(snapshot, fh)
 	case source.Mod:
-		go s.diagnoseSnapshot(snapshot)
+		ctx := snapshot.View().BackgroundContext()
+		go s.diagnoseSnapshot(ctx, snapshot)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (s *Server) diagnoseSnapshot(snapshot source.Snapshot) {
-	ctx := snapshot.View().BackgroundContext()
+func (s *Server) diagnoseSnapshot(ctx context.Context, snapshot source.Snapshot) {
 	ctx, done := trace.StartSpan(ctx, "lsp:background-worker")
 	defer done()
 
-	for _, id := range snapshot.WorkspacePackageIDs(ctx) {
+	wsPackages, err := snapshot.View().WorkspacePackageIDs(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Error(ctx, "diagnoseSnapshot: no workspace packages", err, telemetry.Directory.Of(snapshot.View().Folder))
+		return
+	}
+	for _, id := range wsPackages {
 		ph, err := snapshot.PackageHandle(ctx, id)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Error(ctx, "diagnoseSnapshot: no PackageHandle for workspace package", err, telemetry.Package.Of(id))
diff --git a/internal/lsp/general.go b/internal/lsp/general.go
index 1b98b58eeb..bad973429b 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/general.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/general.go
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ func (s *Server) addFolders(ctx context.Context, folders []protocol.WorkspaceFol
 			viewErrors[uri] = err
 			continue
 		}
-		go s.diagnoseSnapshot(snapshot)
+		go s.diagnoseSnapshot(ctx, snapshot)
 	}
 	if len(viewErrors) > 0 {
 		errMsg := fmt.Sprintf("Error loading workspace folders (expected %v, got %v)\n", len(folders), len(s.session.Views())-originalViews)
diff --git a/internal/lsp/lsp_test.go b/internal/lsp/lsp_test.go
index ff9de385c7..0e2e117258 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/lsp_test.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/lsp_test.go
@@ -53,7 +53,13 @@ func testLSP(t *testing.T, exporter packagestest.Exporter) {
 	options := tests.DefaultOptions()
 	session.SetOptions(options)
 	options.Env = data.Config.Env
-	if _, _, err := session.NewView(ctx, viewName, span.FileURI(data.Config.Dir), options); err != nil {
+	view, _, err := session.NewView(ctx, viewName, span.FileURI(data.Config.Dir), options)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	// Load the workspace packages, since this would normally happen when a view is initialized.
+	// Otherwise, tests that need to look at all workspace packages will fail.
+	if _, err := view.WorkspacePackageIDs(ctx); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	for filename, content := range data.Config.Overlay {
@@ -79,7 +85,6 @@ func testLSP(t *testing.T, exporter packagestest.Exporter) {
 		data: data,
 		ctx:  ctx,
 	}
-
 	tests.Run(t, r, data)
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/lsp/references.go b/internal/lsp/references.go
index a61a7d4d48..d12e5169f1 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/references.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/references.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 	"golang.org/x/tools/internal/lsp/protocol"
 	"golang.org/x/tools/internal/lsp/source"
+	"golang.org/x/tools/internal/lsp/telemetry"
 	"golang.org/x/tools/internal/span"
 	"golang.org/x/tools/internal/telemetry/log"
 	"golang.org/x/tools/internal/telemetry/tag"
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ func (s *Server) references(ctx context.Context, params *protocol.ReferenceParam
 			if err == source.ErrNoIdentFound {
 				return nil, err
 			}
-			log.Error(ctx, "no identifier", err, tag.Of("Identifier", ident.Name))
+			log.Error(ctx, "no identifier", err, telemetry.URI.Of(uri))
 			continue
 		}
 
diff --git a/internal/lsp/source/diagnostics.go b/internal/lsp/source/diagnostics.go
index b49194316a..43881a0b93 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/source/diagnostics.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/source/diagnostics.go
@@ -92,7 +92,12 @@ func Diagnostics(ctx context.Context, snapshot Snapshot, fh FileHandle, withAnal
 		}
 	}
 	// Updates to the diagnostics for this package may need to be propagated.
-	for _, id := range snapshot.GetReverseDependencies(pkg.ID()) {
+	reverseDeps, err := snapshot.GetReverseDependencies(ctx, pkg.ID())
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Error(ctx, "no reverse dependencies", err)
+		return reports, warningMsg, nil
+	}
+	for _, id := range reverseDeps {
 		ph, err := snapshot.PackageHandle(ctx, id)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, warningMsg, err
diff --git a/internal/lsp/source/implementation.go b/internal/lsp/source/implementation.go
index b9c39ef295..b71b272005 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/source/implementation.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/source/implementation.go
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ func Implementation(ctx context.Context, s Snapshot, f FileHandle, pp protocol.P
 var ErrNotAnInterface = errors.New("not an interface or interface method")
 
 func implementations(ctx context.Context, s Snapshot, f FileHandle, pp protocol.Position) ([]implementation, error) {
-
 	var (
 		impls []implementation
 		seen  = make(map[token.Position]bool)
@@ -97,13 +96,16 @@ func implementations(ctx context.Context, s Snapshot, f FileHandle, pp protocol.
 			allNamed []*types.Named
 			pkgs     = make(map[*types.Package]Package)
 		)
-		for _, ph := range s.KnownPackages(ctx) {
+		knownPkgs, err := s.KnownPackages(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		for _, ph := range knownPkgs {
 			pkg, err := ph.Check(ctx)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
 			pkgs[pkg.GetTypes()] = pkg
-
 			info := pkg.GetTypesInfo()
 			for _, obj := range info.Defs {
 				obj, ok := obj.(*types.TypeName)
diff --git a/internal/lsp/source/references.go b/internal/lsp/source/references.go
index 6163425b8d..2cafaf3b17 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/source/references.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/source/references.go
@@ -43,7 +43,11 @@ func (i *IdentifierInfo) References(ctx context.Context) ([]*ReferenceInfo, erro
 	var searchpkgs []Package
 	if i.Declaration.obj.Exported() {
 		// Only search all packages if the identifier is exported.
-		for _, id := range i.Snapshot.GetReverseDependencies(i.pkg.ID()) {
+		reverseDeps, err := i.Snapshot.GetReverseDependencies(ctx, i.pkg.ID())
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		for _, id := range reverseDeps {
 			ph, err := i.Snapshot.PackageHandle(ctx, id)
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Error(ctx, "References: no CheckPackageHandle", err, telemetry.Package.Of(id))
diff --git a/internal/lsp/source/source_test.go b/internal/lsp/source/source_test.go
index c77cab497c..4a175e6972 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/source/source_test.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/source/source_test.go
@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ func testSource(t *testing.T, exporter packagestest.Exporter) {
 		data: data,
 		ctx:  ctx,
 	}
+	// Load the workspace packages, since this would normally happen when a view is initialized.
+	// Otherwise, tests that need to look at all workspace packages will fail.
+	if _, err := view.WorkspacePackageIDs(ctx); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 	for filename, content := range data.Config.Overlay {
 		kind := source.DetectLanguage("", filename)
 		if kind != source.Go {
diff --git a/internal/lsp/source/view.go b/internal/lsp/source/view.go
index af05e1c347..3d9bb6bf53 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/source/view.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/source/view.go
@@ -46,20 +46,16 @@ type Snapshot interface {
 	// that this file belongs to.
 	PackageHandles(ctx context.Context, fh FileHandle) ([]PackageHandle, error)
 
-	// WorkspacePackageIDs returns the ids of the packages at the top-level
-	// of the snapshot's view.
-	WorkspacePackageIDs(ctx context.Context) []string
-
 	// GetActiveReverseDeps returns the active files belonging to the reverse
 	// dependencies of this file's package.
-	GetReverseDependencies(id string) []string
+	GetReverseDependencies(ctx context.Context, id string) ([]string, error)
 
 	// KnownImportPaths returns all the imported packages loaded in this snapshot,
 	// indexed by their import path.
 	KnownImportPaths() map[string]Package
 
 	// KnownPackages returns all the packages loaded in this snapshot.
-	KnownPackages(ctx context.Context) []PackageHandle
+	KnownPackages(ctx context.Context) ([]PackageHandle, error)
 }
 
 // PackageHandle represents a handle to a specific version of a package.
@@ -131,6 +127,10 @@ type View interface {
 	// the given package or one of its dependencies.
 	FindMapperInPackage(pkg Package, uri span.URI) (*protocol.ColumnMapper, error)
 
+	// WorkspacePackageIDs returns the ids of the packages at the top-level
+	// of the snapshot's view.
+	WorkspacePackageIDs(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error)
+
 	// Snapshot returns the current snapshot for the view.
 	Snapshot() Snapshot
 }
diff --git a/internal/lsp/workspace.go b/internal/lsp/workspace.go
index 0b234991dd..358c839605 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/workspace.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/workspace.go
@@ -48,10 +48,11 @@ func (s *Server) updateConfiguration(ctx context.Context, changed interface{}) e
 		if err := s.fetchConfig(ctx, view.Name(), view.Folder(), &options); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		if _, err := view.SetOptions(ctx, options); err != nil {
+		view, err := view.SetOptions(ctx, options)
+		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		go s.diagnoseSnapshot(view.Snapshot())
+		go s.diagnoseSnapshot(ctx, view.Snapshot())
 	}
 	return nil
 }